Fluid-indicator.



J. B. MERIAM.

FLUID INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.7,1911.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

JNvf/v 70H,

, WHNESE,

I To all whom t may concern.'

UNITED srATEs PATENT OFFICE.

"JosE'rH E. MEBLIAM, or CLEVELAND, omo.-

' FLUID-INDICATOR.

i Application filed February Specification of Letters Patenti l Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

7, 1911. Serial No. 607,203.

Be it known `that I, JOSEPH B. MERIAM, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fluid-Indicators, Jof which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to gages or indicators for showing the amount of luid passing through an orice. LTaking an orifice of a given size and passing a fluid therethrough, the amount of such fluid .passing is dependent upon the differences in pressure of the fluid on the opposite sides of the member containing ,the orilice. -Inmy invention I utilize'this principle in a mecha' nism having a transparent tube, preferably a U-tube, the ends of which are connected to chambers containing difereiit colored liquids, the chambers being separated from each other except as they are connected 'through the tube, and each o'f said chambers being connected with the passage for fluid on the respective sides of the member containing the orifice. y'

' In the laccompanying drawing, which shows one embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a front elevation of ymy invention shown in somewhat vdiagrammatic form, part of the connecting pipes being broken away; Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of- Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a view showing thev disk or member having theporifice therein.

Taking up 'afuller description-of the invention by the use of the reference .characters appearing on thedrawings, 1 and 2 represent two hemispherical castings, the same.

being so assembled as to form a spherical casing, said castings being held .together in any suitable manner so as to ,be l'fluid tight. Between the said parts 1 and -2 AI place `a disk 3, the same being shownjfin. detail in Fig. 4, the disk being clamped .about its edgesy so that no disk to the other except throughian oitlifice 4 therein, said orifice being; prefer a ly side of the carries .the fluid thatis to be-measured or` luidcan pass frein/,one side at the center of=the disk, as shown.' Leading finto the spherical casing onone, diskis anl inletl pipe 5 whieh` gaged, and a similar pipe 6 leads outwardly from said casing to t e engine or otherdefluid must, ofcourse, pass through the orifice 4; and the purpose of my invention is to show by a visual indicator the amount of the fluid thus passing. To that end, I atand 8 respectively, and I connect the oppo- 9, said vessel being divided by' a partition 10 into two chambers or compartments 11 and v12, the'pipes 7 and 8 communicating with chambers are connected together exteriorly by a glass tube, the -same being bent intoa U-shape and having the legs nected with the respective chambers 11 `and 12. The chambers. are 'partially .filled with liquids, as indicated in Fig. 2, the liquids of the two chambers being of different character so that they will not mix, lalthough they should be of the same or approximately of the same specific gravity. Furthermore, the

ored, and Fig. 2 is intended to showcolored liquid in chamber 11. From this construcbers will fill the U-tube and that' the meeting point of the liquids in the tube will be clearly marked by the difference in the colors of the liquids, such meeting point being indicated at 14. The position o this point will vary with the quantity of fluid pressures on the opposite sides of said orifice. Assuming that there is :the disk, then the meeting point 14 will be located at some point along a scale 1t). If a fluidbe introduced through the pipe 5,

'the disk will exceed the pressure on the vright hand side thereof, and the fluid will pass through the orifice from the left to the right. At the saine time, this dierence in pressure exists in the chambers 11 and 12, andthe point 14 moves downwardly in the `tube and appears o posite another` point on the scale. This sca e may be graduated to'ind icate quantities or volumes of fluid passing through the orifice in a given time, o-r it may be graduatedso-.as to indicate differences of pressure existing on .opposite .sides of ythe site ends of said pipes to a containing vesselthe chambers lLaiid 12 respectively. These' 13 and 13a con-- passing through thev orifice 4 or with the no fluid pres-- ent in the pipes 5 or 6 or in theV casing for v;then the pressure on the left hand side of vice to which the fluid is supplied. This lsoV tach tothe casing members 1 and 2 pipes 7 liquid in one of the chambers should be coltion it results that the liquids in the chaml disk, or to indicate the velocity of the fluid l passing through the orifice. In any case, if the quantity orv volume of fluid canno-t be read directly from the scale, it may be readily computed therefrom.

For varying the effective size ofthe orifice 4, I may employ-a valve having a conical end 16 Within the spherical casing and a stem 17 that is screw-threaded into the casing member 1. By turning this stem, the conical part 16 of the valve may be screwed into or out of the orifice, thereby changing the size of the latter as may be desired.

For preventing a too sudden change of the liquids in the U-tube, a valve may be interposed at practically any point in\ either of the pipes 7 or 8. In Fig. 2 I have shown such -a valve at 18, the same being preferably of the type known as a needle valve. I also prefer to place valves in both the pipes 7 and 8 for the purpose of closing these pipes in case it should be desired todo so, as while filling or otherwise changing the liquids in the chambers 11 and 12, such valves being shown at 19 and 20.

For the purpose of protecting the U-tube against injury, I surround the same with shields 21 and 22, which shields are secured to the vessel 9 in any suitable manner. In Fig. 3 I have showna section through these protecting shields, from which it will be seen that they are shaped somewhat like channelirons so as to completely inclose the tube eX- cept a portion of the leg 13, and this portion of the tube is contained Within a recess in the front of the shields so as to be protected from injury. The graduated scale 15, heretofore referred to, is preferabl. impressed upon one of these protecting sh1elds, Fig. 1 showing the same on shield 22.

In case it should be desired to fix or establish any particular point on the scale, and to reckon from that point the volume or velocity of the fluids passing through the orifice, or the differences in pressure on opposite sides of the orifice, this may be done by a pointe? 23 Which I mount upon the shield 21, or upon that shield ,that is opposite the scale 15. This pointer may be moved to any position along the scale and may be held there by a set screw 24, or by any other suitable fastening means.

In order to introduce the liquids to the chambers 11 and 12, t-he upper Walls of these chambers are provided with threaded openings, which are normally closed by ,plugs 25. p

While my invention may be employed in many different relations, and the following claims are intended to cover the same however employed, I contemplate the use of the same chiefly in connection with internal combustion engines, the gases for operating which are passed through the pipes 5 and 6 and through the orifice.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing having a passage for fluids therethrough, of a partition through said casing, said partition having an orifice therein through which the fluids must pass, a valve controlling thc aperture of the orifice, a vessel having a partition therein so as to be divided into a pair of chambers, means connecting each of said chambers with the said casing, the connections for the respective chambers being on opposite sides of the partition in the casing, a transparent U-tube having its ends connected with the respective chambers through which tube the chambers communicate with each other, and liquids of different colors contained within the respective chambers, said liquids meeting within the said U-tube.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a member having a passage for fluids therethrough, of a disk extending across the passage in the member and forming a. partition therein, said disk being provided with an orifice through which the fluids pass, a valve controlling the aperture of the'orifice, a vessel having a pair of chambers therein, a pipe for each chamber, said pipes connecting the respective chambers with the said member on the o-pposite sides of the disk, a U-tube having its ends connected to the said vessel and communieating with the respective chambers therein, liquids contained within the said chambers and within the said U-tube, said liquids having different colors so that the point of meeting of the liquids in the U-tube is visible, and an index scale adjacent the said tube, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pair of hemispherical castings so assembled together as to form a hollow spherical member, of a disk between the said castings, said disk forming a partition across the member and the disk having an orifice therethrough, a valve connected with one of the said castings and having a conical end that is adapted to enter the orifice and to vary the effective `size thereof, a vessel having a pair of chambers therein, pipes connecting the respective chambers with the said member on opposite sides of the disk, a U-tube having its ends connected with the respective chambers and a protecting shield extending from the said Y vessel about the said tube to protect the same from injury.

4. In a device 'of the character described, the combination with a-'member having a passage for fluids therethrough, of a disk extending across said passage, said disk having an orifice through which the liquids pass, a valve controlling the aperture of the orifice, a vessel having a pair of chambers therein, pipes connecting the respective chambers with themember on opposite sides of the disk, a U-tube having its respective ends communicating with the said cha-mbers, fluids of different colors .within the repassage forfluids therethrough, of a disk extending across said passage, said disk having an orifice through which the fluids pass, a vessel having a pair-of chambers therein, pipes connecting the respective chambers With the member on opposite sides of the disk, a U-tube having its respective ends connected With the said chambers, a pair of channeledl members connected with the vessel, said members inclosing one.leg of the said tube and containing the .other leg of the tube Within a recess of the ch'anne members, an index scale on one of said channel members and an index pointer adjustably secured to the other channel member,as andrfor the purpose specified.

6. In a device of the character described,

I the combination with a member having a passage for fiuids therethrough, of a disk extending across said passage, said disk having an orifice therein through which the fluids pass, a valve controlling the aperture of the orifice, a vessel having pair of chambersk therein, pipes connectingthe respective chambers with the member on opposite sides of the disk, a U-tube having its ends communicating with the respect-ive chambers,

liquids of different colors Within the respective chambers and Within the said tube, and

a valve in each of the pipes connecting the vessel Wit-h the said member, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a member having a passage. for iuids`therethrough, of. a disk extending across said passage, sald disk having an orice therein through vvhich the iuids pass, a vessel having a pair of chambers therein, pipes connecting the respective i A chambers with the member on opposite sides ofthe disk, a U-tube having its ends communicating with the respect-ive chambers, liquids of different colors within the respective' chambers vand within the said tube, a valve in each of the pipes connect-ing the .vessel with the said member, and another valve for regulating the size of the orifice in 4 the disk, as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a member having a passage for fluids therethrough, of a disk extending across said passage, said disk having an orifice therein, a valve controlling the aperture of the orifice, a vessel having a pair of chambers, pipes connecting the respective chambers With the member on opposite sides of the disk, a U-tubehaving its ends communicating with the respective chambers, liquids of different colors Within the said chambers and Within the tube, and a valve located Within one of the pipes between the vessel and the member, said valve being adapted to regulate the flow of fluid between the member and the vessel.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination Wit-h a member having a passage for fluids therethrough, of. a disk exten ing across said passage, said disk having an orifice through which the fluids pass, a vessel having a pair of chambers therein, pipes connecting the respective chambers .with the member on op osite sides of the disk, a U-tube having its. respective ends connected with the said chambers, and a pair of channeled members connected with the vessel, said members inclosing o-ne leg of the said tube and containing the other leg of the tube Within a recess ofthe channeled members, as Vand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Y JCSEPH B. MERIAM.

Witnesses:

C. V. CROWTHER, A. L. DIoUs.4 

